Yoshi’s Woolly World Review – The Cuteness Factor of Yarn

If there was any game company known for making clever yet incredibly charming games, it’s definitely Nintendo. Yoshi’s Woolly World is a beautiful platformer that will tug at your heartstrings with its adorable visuals and graceful soundtrack. Cute is a word you will see used a lot to describe what makes Yoshi’s newest game on Nintendo Wii U a must have for console owners. Yet behind its cutesy world is a cleverly made title that contains an inviting level of challenge to its platforming.

The plot of Yoshi’s Woolly World is as bare-bones as you can possibly get for a game in this genre. The evil magikoopa Kamek arrives on a yarn-knitted island and begins causing havoc by turning the Yoshi inhabitants into giant balls of yarn. After escaping the unraveling, two yarn Yoshis set out to save their brethren from Kamek’s mysterious bad plans.

Yoshi games don’t have a lot of emphasis on plot, but what is here is enough to make sense within this world made of yarn. The fact that everything is comprised of yarn does lend itself to a bit of humor during cutscenes and gameplay.

The cuteness factor of Yoshi and the woolly world around him is beyond measure. Upon seeing Yoshi, you just want to pick him up and hug him tight. Every action you take will have you saying “awe…” throughout the entire time you spend playing. Even the enemies that are out to get Yoshi have an adorable nature to them that is hard to deny. The game has a charisma of cuteness that will constantly put a smile on your face as you play through each of the game’s 40+ levels.

Gameplay is incredibly familiar for anyone that has played a Mario or Yoshi’s Island game. Platforming in each of the game’s worlds isn’t difficult and encourages searching for hidden secrets, including an assortment of hidden levels. Collectibles are hidden in clever spots that aren’t hard to find but can be easily missed the first time you play a level.

You can use a variety of control schemes to play including the Wii U gamepad, Wii Remote, or Classic Controller. Most players will soak in Yoshi’s cute adventure alone, but playing the game with a friend in co-op is a ton of fun. The difficulty drops drastically when playing with a friend, but the game is still enjoyable searching for secrets and reaching the goal as a team.

Yoshi’s Woolly World has amiibo support that can be hit or miss for some. The game encourages you to use an amiibo figure to customize a yarn Yoshi’s look, and even offers a doppelganger power for scanning the Yarn Yoshi amibo figure while in a level. With other released amibo figures, you can unlock different color designs for Yoshi that are stored in the game’s central hub.

Unfortunately, you need to have the amiibo figures (or a friend that owns them) in order to achieve 100% completion of the game’s secrets. This can be somewhat discouraging if you don’t buy a lot of amiibo figures, as there is no other way in-game to unlock all of the Yoshi skins without scanning the figures.

You won’t find another game on the market that is cuter than Yoshi’s Woolly World. While not a difficult game alone or in co-op, the game does offer a steady balance of challenge and relaxation. The soundtrack is fantastic and true to the cute factor of the characters and yarn world they live in.

You may need to purchase amiibo figures to find all of the game’s secrets, but it’s not necessary to enjoy everything already included. Despite these few shortcomings, Yoshi’s Woolly World is a good title for Wii U console owners and will put a smile on anyone’s face that plays it.

This review was based on a digital copy of Yoshi’s Woolly World for the Nintendo Wii U provided by Nintendo.

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Jakejames Lugo Senior Editor Jakejames Lugo is a life-long gamer, anime fan, movie-goer, podcaster, and great friend. Jakejames is always working hard, striving to accomplish great things within the gaming industry.